Decorative article and method of manufacture therefor

ABSTRACT

A MANUFACTURED, DECORATIVE ARTICLE AND METHOD PREFERABLE FORMED ON A BASE MATERIAL HAVING THE DESIRED SHAPE AND SERVING AS A SOURCE OF PIGMENTATION WHEREIN A RESIN COATING ESSENTIALLY DISSOLVES THE BASE MEMBER WHILE MAINTAINING ITS SHAPE, AND DRIES WITH THE PIGMENTATION FUSED THERETHOUGH TO DEFINE A DECORATIVE BODY HAVING A DESIRED COLOR AND TEXTURE OF SURFACE.

United States Patent 3,577,260 DECORATIVE ARTICLE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREFOR Roberta J. Hanna, 7555 Ashburn St.,

Houston, Tex. 77017 No Drawing. Filed Nov. 21, 1967, Ser. No. 685,247 Int. Cl. B44d 1/02; B44c 5/06 US. Cl. 117-68 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A manufactured, decorative article and method preferably formed on a base material having the desired shape and serving as a source of pigmentation wherein a resin coating essentially dissolves the base member while maintaining its shape, and dries with the pigmentation fused therethrough to define a decorative body having a desired color and texture of surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is summarized as providing a decorative article formed from paper or cloth base members. For instance, the present invention is adapted for use with simulated flowers formed of silk cloth, lantern shades formed of colored paper, and many other similar items. While the base member generally determines the shape of the finished product, the decorative article is completed by placing a number of coats of resin on the exposed surfaces of the base member to the extent that the base member is essentially dissolved, its color is diffused into the coating while the coating dries to a hardened member without yellowing or changing the cast or hue of the base member. The method of the present invention is summarized as providing a method of coating paper or cloth articles to the desired thickness with multiple coatings preferably applied to each side, and thereafter heat cured in a controlled atmosphere, the steps of coating .the base member essentially dissolving the base member while deriving it color pigmentation for diffusion through the member to thereby form an erect and chemically stable decorative object which maintains its coloration even when exposed to sunlight.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method of forming attractive objects in which controls are maintained over the color.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved decorative article maintaining true colors without yellowing, either in formation or after the passage of time when exposed to sunlight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved decorative article having a texture and depth of coloring somewhat similar to stained glass artware.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved decorative article formed of a coating on a fibrous base member which is essentially absorbed, primarily yielding its color and surface effects to the finished article.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method for forming decorative article in which curing or hardening is substantially improved.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification, no drawing being incorporated with the present disclosure.

The method of the present invention is preferably practiced with any one of a number of formed base members of paper or fabric construction. By way of example, and for purposes of definition for the present disclosure, base members include such items as tissue or crepe paper and other dissolvable materials formed into flowers. Paper objects such as lantern shades have been adapted for use by the present invention. Further, base members of colored silks have been fabricated into decorative objects. It would appear that the requirements of the present invention are such that the base member be sufiiciently soluble in the coating material to be described, at least to an extent whereby its; color is propagated through the completed article of manufacture. Moreover, it is possible to impart surface texture to the finished article even though the structure of the base member appears to have been totally dissolved within the completed article. This has occurred on the utilization of silk cloth for the base member. The hue or color is derived in the completed object from the silk, and even while the silk is not visible to the naked eye it creates the appearance of a woven pattern in the completed article having the same spacing and weave as the woven silk base member. It should be noted that some surface glazes and sizings added to paper or cloth are not desirable because they cloud the finished product; several convenient ways are known for removing them. While testing has not ascertained the full range of materials adapted for inclusion in the present invention, the above examples are stated with a view of describing the preferred method and its practice.

The base member may be formed to any desired shape by cutting, trimming, and other fabrication techniques. Typical although not exclusive use is found in the forma tion of artificial flowers of the selected fibers or material. For the present invention, the base member is preferably constructed and arranged whereby both surfaces are eventually coated with the material to be described as one rrgeans of imparting the coloration through the completed 0 ject.

The method of the present invention contemplates repetitive coats of material on the base member. The material is a resin purchased from any number of commercial sources, one example being polyester resin (Polylite 332) purchased from Reichhold Chemicals, Inc. Other suitable sources of polyester resin include the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company. In the liquid state, the polyester resin preferably has a viscosity of perhaps two hundred to five hundred, measured at 77 F., and a specific gravity slightly greater than water at perhaps 1.1. A catalyst is added to the liquid resin to promote room temperature curing. Thus, in the utilization of the present method, the bulk liquid polyester resin is first mixed with about oneeighth percent catalyst, measured by relative weights, to promote room temperature curing. For use with the preferred resin noted above, the catalyst is preferably methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, 60% solution. Also, the resin is preferably wax-free, acrylic modified, light stabilized resin, these modifications improving quality during production in quantity. For some base members, the acrylic additive is beneficial and in other cases, it is unneeded.

Once the desired concentration of catalyst has been mixed in the resin, the resin is applied to the base member by brushing or spraying to form a relative thin coat on one surface. It will be appreciated that the liquid resin wets the base member described hereinbefore, and poses a danger of excess weight which tears or distorts the member should the weight of uncured resin become too heavy. For this reason, it is preferably applied to only one surface of the base member in a relatively thin layer to permit adequate curing. The coating applied to the first surface of the base member is then permitted to dry to a substantially tacky surface. Drying is preferably accomplished in reduced humidity at a temperature of perhaps F., above room temperature. When it has structural integrity suflicient to support its own weight, then a second coating is applied and is preferably placed on the remaining uncoated surface of the base member. The surface is coated substantially throughout and is also permitted to dry. For both coats, drying at room temperature is acceptable or the drying is accomplished at an accelerated temperature to speed up the process. Also, in both cases, it is preferable to dry the partially coated article to a tacky consistency on the surface. This aids the bonding of subsequent coats of resin material applied later.

After the first two or three coats and 'while the resin is still soft, the shape of the entire object may be altered if the bends are not extreme and care is devoted to the handling.

At some later point in time, additional coats of material are placed on the partially coated base member. The additional coats again can be applied by spray techniques or by brushing. The application technique used for the first coat is repeated for the second coat wherein the thickness is limited to protect the structural integrity of the partially complete device and to prevent excessive weight on the somewhat frail members.

After application of the last coat of resin, the object is preferably cured or dried in a non-flame atmosphere of upwards of 350 F. A suitable temperature range is perhaps 250300 to avoid the possibility of excessive internal stresses resulting from too rapid an application of heat while obtaining a relatively fast curing. The curing time is in the range of ten to twenty minutes, and is generally not a function of a surface area, larger and smaller objects curing at about the same rate because the curing rate seems to be a function of the thickness-of the coating applied to the base member. After the heat soak, the object is given a controlled temperature air quench in which the temperature is lowered at a fast rate to apparently stress the semi-plastic material which then hardens.

At the conclusion of the air quench step, the completed art object appears to be marked, lined, or stressed in a manner believed to result from shrinkage and the resultant internal stresses which are limited to prevent actual breakage of the object. The stressed object is best described as similar to quality stained glass or Venetian glass, and is to be contrasted with the slick or glazed surface appearance of items typically embedded in clear plastic, or the water-like depth of embedded items, products to which the present invention is not related.

After curing as described above, it is preferable to apply a coat of resin material which seals the surface. and for this purpose, the liquid resin applied to the cured decorative article is mixed with an additive which seals the surface. One suitable additive is wax dissolved styrene, a monomer which also polymerizes in the presence of a peroxide and which, on curing, is uncolored to permit the hue or color of the base member to be unaffected by the surface sealant. This coat is cured for up to about eight hours at a temperature of about 90-l25 F.

With regard to curing times and temperatures noted herein, it should be noted that high humidity impedes curing With too high a humidity, room-temperature curing is often arrested with the detrimental result that the base member is chemically converted and the pigment completely destroyed. Preferably, a work area with reduced humidity (below, say, 50%) is desirable. Also, in curing ovens, the humidity ratio is reduced on heating the air in the oven.

On appearance, the completed article has a type of semi-transparency, colored by the base member that changes the luster of the opaque base member color while yet retaining its hue or color tone. The surface is course or smooth depending on the application technique used, the fineness of the brush and spray head, and similar factors. Furthermore, it is possible to impart texture variations to the surface dependent on the texture of the base member itself. As previously noted, the base member is apparently totally dissolved during the exothermic polymerization of the resin to substantially alter and enhance the appearance of. the completed item. For purposes of definition herein, the term dissolved refers to a base member having at least the two characteristics, one of which is ability to color the completed article with tone or hue originally in the base member and the other is the ability to apparently be consumed or at least become transparent within the plasticized structure.

For quite large decorative objects, it is sometimes helpful to include fiberglass matting as a support member in one of the coatings of polyester resin. However, this is not normally needed for smaller structures, and is only suggested for large structures which are perhaps exposed to greater wear and tear when placed in use.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a decorative object comprising the steps of (a) coating a dissolvable base material with at least one layer of a liquid polyester resin, said base material being paper or cloth having a color tone therein, said coating being applied in layers to a thickness sufficient to structurally support the decorative object, and

(b) allowing each layer to cure at least to a tacky state before applying any additional resin thereto, said base material being further characterized by at least the partial distribution of the color tone which is diffused through the structure of the completed decorative object while the base material becomes at least semi-transparent within the completed object.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of applying non-flame heating to the coating on the dissolvable base material and thereafter cooling at a controlled rate to effect a cure.

3. The method of claim 1 including the steps of applying separately multiple layers of said polyester resin to opposite sides of the dissolvable base material.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of curing the coated object for an interval of approximately ten to twenty minutes in a non-flame atmosphere at a temperature less than 350 F.

5. The decorative object formed by the method of claim 1.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,661 11/1931 Sadtler 8-2.5 2,067,435 1/1937 Chatfield et al. 8--2.5X 2,176,837 10/1939 Ellis 117--126(GR)X 2,311,613 2/1943 Slayter 117l26(GR) 2,83 0,925 4/1958 Fennebresque et al. 161232X 3,294,620 12/1966" Petropoulos et al. a--- 161-232 3,391,056 7/1968 Robinson 161-232 FOREIGN PATENTS 213,810 4/1924 Great Britain 117l53 OTHER REFERENCES Tullio, Thermosol Dyeing of Polyester-Cotton Blends. American Dyestuff Reporter, May 23, 1966, pp. 45 to 52.

WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Primary Examiner R. HUSACK, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

